Fat Bike Summit

Darin volunteered to help set up for the first ever Utah Fat Bike Summit.

It was in Ogden, so we dropped him off to work in the cold morning while I took the kids to Karen's Cafe for a huge cafe style breakfast. Great place to eat. My one complaint was they put too much meat in my omelet...which I am thinking is not something most people would complain about. 

It was a gorgeous day to ride bikes in the snow!

Darin and I both took some bikes out for rides.  They don't make Fat Bikes small enough for the kids, but they had these trikes they could try out.  Miriam did ride an extra small Pugsley but really she needs to grow an inch or two before she will be comfortable.

The kids also made bird feeders, and participated in the kids obstacle course a few times. We all watched the races, the bike jousting, and this bike polo game played with a bucket.  They got so much swag they couldn't believe it...t-shirt, cow bell, frisbee, water bottle, hot chocolate and pancakes.

Next year promises to be an even bigger event...which is good, but I am so glad we got to experience it on a smaller scale.

Science Fair

Such great daddy/daughter time went into Miriam's science fair project this year.

Darin directed her in what to do, but he certainly made her do the foot work.

I usually help her with her english and social studies assignments, but I was no help with this one! When it came time to write everything out Miriam knew way more about sound, speakers, and testing than I did so she had to do it herself (with edits from Darin).

  

I did help with the layout and color scheme....that I can do.

We were lucky the judging came right when Uncle Mark was visiting so he could come visit Miriam's school and be the rock star uncle that he is.

I was so relieved to have it done for the year, then Miriam informed me that she is required to participate for 2 more years!!
On the bright side, I really do think this is a great problem solving/analytical thinking exercise for the kids.  Projects like this are probably the best way for kids to individualize learning in a public school setting...its just....thinking of 9 more science fair projects in my future makes my head swim just a bit.

Scofield Continued..

Our friends came up and visited while we were at the cabin.

We took them on a snowshoe/cross country skiing trip to the bear cave.

Climbing up to see if there is a bear snoozing in the cave!

Cute Sadie is an adventure girl in the making.

Hatch Family and Ray Family me as photographer.

Hatch Family and Ray Family Cameron as photographer (minus Creed, Bub and Savvy who stayed at the cabin).

See how bare it is...crazy weird!

After the kids sled together  for a few hours Darin and I had a few runs of our own.

Everyone left Monday night except for our little family.  It's exciting to be there with cousins but it was nice to have a casual day to recoup before heading back home. Darin and Miriam went on a daddy daughter snowshoeing trip while I cleaned and packed and the boys sled down the driveway (Darin would want me to add that he helped clean too).  We don't own a snowmobile and everyone who does left on Monday so we hauled all our stuff out with the awesome pulk Darin made and the kids sled down to the parking lot. 

Our cabin key was in our car down in the parking lot so Darin locked the cabin from the inside and then jumped off the deck! I thought for sure I would be hauling him to the emergency room but he did it just like Spider-Man!

Scofield

Mark is here! 

He is visiting for a couple of weeks so we finally made a family trip to Scofield.

The lack of snow up there is scary, but there was enough to get our fill of playing and the snow is nice and fluffy.

Mark being the best uncle ever...hauling the kids up the hill over and over and over and over...

The three of us got a good snowshoeing trip in (Thanks Mom and Julia). 

Good conversation and beautiful views.

So nice to be out of the inversion. I took as many huge cleansing breaths as possible.

Natural History Museum

Come on up and visit us...we will take you to the Natural History Museum cuz we are going to use that year pass till the kids know the museum by heart!

Big old hunk of Miriam's birth stone.

Earthquake building

Seismic jumping

Cute critters (Miriam is barley tolerating this)

Random Cuteness

Shaggy cuteness

Hardworking cuteness

Nutcracker cuteness 

Fort cuteness

Morning piano practice cuteness

"Best Dad Ever" homemade hammock nap cuteness

Legomaniac cuteness

2014!!

This was the first time in 14 years that we didn't go to the cabin for New Years.  

The first time we have ever spent the holiday alone (as in our little family).

It was strange for sure (not as exciting as past years)...but also nice to be just us.  

Nice to know we like being together.

 I took the kids sledding on some ice hills in the area during the day (Darin was working).

We fondued as per the Rasmussen tradition.

(chocolate on broccoli??)

I don't have actual fondue pots but we made due.

We had a marathon game night. 

(in front of the fireplace...my favorite part of the new house that I didn't even know I wanted!)

Then we celebrated with the folks on the East Coast.

We sent the kids off to bed about 10:30 pm, but M was determined to stay up.  She read in her room, falling asleep a few times but woke at 11:53 pm and rushed into our room.  We had nothing to celebrate the moment with so I made her run outside barefoot screaming. Luckily lots of our neighbors and folks who live below us furnished some nice fireworks to complete the evening.

Random Winter Stuff

(dice, candy ball game...super fun)

Miriam has big ideas.  

That girl's brain is always going going going.  I love it, but I am also scared of it because her big ideas almost always involve me. I am trying to find balance as a mom in this area...when to help her take these ideas and fly and when to say no.  This is a constant battle with me. I am a pleaser and I love my kids! I also easily get lost in motherhood and forget that I am a person too...I have goals, I have dreams.  Tricky balance. 

Anyway the picture above is one of M's ideas that we said yes to.  Her teacher use to volunteer for Hogle Zoo, and she told them about the adopt an animal program the zoo has.  Miriam wanted to adopt an animal in her animal-loving-teachers name but at a high $ level which meant getting the whole class involved.  Since the basement is completely empty we came up with a hot chocolate party for the class.  They would walk home from school with Miriam, have hot chocolate, play games, and make a donation to the gift.  

The kids had a blast, and did something kind for both their teacher and the zoo.
I am proud of Miss Miriam for her kind heart and her motivation to take action.

We have had lots of snow play this year! This is one day where M and her friend M stayed out all day to build a snow fort...the boys came in before the camera came out but they have taken advantage of the snow as well.  Lots of sledding (and shoveling) going on around here!

Christmas Morning

I am pretty determined to keep our Christmas simple and relatively small. But every year, when I look at the room before I head off to bed I wonder if they will be disappointed, wonder if its enough. 

And it always is. 

It is always more than enough, even when it's not what they asked for, it seems to be enough.  

Some of the most loved gifts:

Some of the most meaningful gifts:

Miriam spent so much time ironing these plastic beads together.  We thought she was just making a village of Christmas figures which she was, but she was also making this surprise for G'ma and G'pa.

G'ma and G'pa gave us a wooden Noah's Ark.  G'ma loves Noah's Ark's and G'pa loves to create so it's the perfect reminder of them.  It is permanently on display in our bookcase.

I love sloths.
 So the kids surprised me by "adopting" a sloth through Hogle Zoo in my name.  They presented the gift with a certificate in the book "A Little Sloth" (cuteness overload).  Darin gave me many gifts this season....service related and otherwise but I think my favorite was a date night, the kids contributed by supplying babysitting money.

It was a delightful Christmas.
Just enough adventure.
Just enough singing.
Just enough giving.
Just enough relaxing.
Just enough.

Christmas Eve

In order to entertain the troops, and give G'ma and G'pa a bit of a break from the weekend, we decided to take the kids to lunch and then to the Cache Valley Fun Center.

We ate at the "best use for a gas station" restaurant called Tandori Oven.  It was small, but every good.  The kids loved mango lassi in fancy copper cups and naan.  They haven't ventured into much more than that although Miriam is branching out a bit.

Then we did it all!

Bowling (Soren won I came in dead last)

Arcade

Lazer Tag (Darin and Byron)

Roller Skating (Miriam and I)

We got home in time for a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner.

We put together a puzzle. 

The kids sang the Christmas song from their sacrament meeting performance.

Miriam played her piano songs.

We all sang "Christmas Bells" (Miriam and I tried to do the discant).

Grandma gave an impromptu oration of the poem "Old Father Christmas" 

(this was a highlight of the night) 

Read the Christmas Story.

Watched a Christmas Nativity movie.

We ended by singing Silent Night.

Then I put the kids to bed with a traditional favorite of Darin's family How Mrs. Claus Saves Christmas. Left the kids all snuggled together, happily exhausted, anticipating the morning!